In the movie Shadowlands, one of C.S. Lewis's friends describes him as a man who specialized in "easy answers to difficult questions". Lewis was already famous for his Narnia books and was a popular speaker, especially on the subject of the problem of pain. His friend Christopher was not as convinced of the truth of Lewis's view as others were. But he got to see the ideas put to the test as he witnessed the plunge into the "dark night of the soul" that Lewis experienced after his wife Joy died. There were no easy answers now, only dread and emptiness. How would he find his way out of the darkness? How could he explain the silence?
One of the many reasons I love the Bible is the honesty that is found there. Honest truth, not platitudes. Job spends many days grappling with finding his way forward after the loss of everything. And in a supremely ironic twist, his comforters prove to be his biggest opponents. No easy answers there. Almost all of the prophets are called to deal honestly with the grim realities of their particular generations. Yet, as each one does so, he is made aware of God's personal presence. Not necessarily an answer, but a presence. One of my favorites is Habakkuk. He opens his book with these questions - "O Lord, how long shall I cry, and You will not hear?.....Why do You show me iniquity and cause me to see trouble?.. Why do you look on those who deal treacherously and hold Your tongue when the wicked devours a person more righteous than he?" That's a lot of questions! He then says this - "I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer when I am corrected." He expects God to show up. That is faith.
Lewis did find the way forward, and he wrote about it in his novel Till We Have Faces. At the end of the book, as the main character Orual finally has her chance to voice her complaints and questions, she concludes, "I know now, Lord, why you utter no answer. You are yourself the answer. Before your face questions die away. What other answer would suffice?" Lewis found what we all need to find - not answers but presence. Emmanuel. God with us. Simple - yes. Easy - no.
Showing posts with label suffering. Show all posts
Showing posts with label suffering. Show all posts
Monday, May 12, 2014
Friday, August 31, 2012
The Stories We Live
As an educator, I'm devoted to nurturing the love of good stories. As a mom, I've read countless stories to my children. As a person, I love getting lost in a good story myself. Readers and non-readers alike love a good story.
Much has been written about the benefits of story in nurturing virtue and imagination in our children. There's another benefit as well. Being steeped in story gives us a framework for how we view our own lives. People who see life as a story are able to see themselves in the context of something greater than themselves. How is this a benefit?
Every good story must have a plot, and the core of plot is conflict. Conflict stems from a problem - either internal, external, or a combination. It can be conflict with something that has a resolution (finding the thief) or conflict with something unresolvable (like the evils of war). Either way, it is imperative that the main character meets the conflict in a way that we can relate to at some level. It must be believable, and, in a good story, it should encourage us in our dealings with conflict.
Beyond just encouraging us, though, a recognition of plot allows us to move through life without being constantly surprised by difficulties. These are the things that can move life forward if we meet them well, or bring us to a standstill if we don't. Knowing that problems are part of the "story" of life can give us a measure of grace and strength as we move forward. Knowing that there is a next chapter and, finally, a resolution allows us to live in hope. And knowing that we are just one in a cast of thousands in this great story teaches us to live with humility with others.
In The Two Towers, as the main character Frodo is struggling against despair, his companion, Sam, puts it in perspective for him with these words:
" It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. They meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories has lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something."
Sam helps Frodo understand that the dark moment isn't the culmination of the story. And that's a life-giving perspective.
Much has been written about the benefits of story in nurturing virtue and imagination in our children. There's another benefit as well. Being steeped in story gives us a framework for how we view our own lives. People who see life as a story are able to see themselves in the context of something greater than themselves. How is this a benefit?
Every good story must have a plot, and the core of plot is conflict. Conflict stems from a problem - either internal, external, or a combination. It can be conflict with something that has a resolution (finding the thief) or conflict with something unresolvable (like the evils of war). Either way, it is imperative that the main character meets the conflict in a way that we can relate to at some level. It must be believable, and, in a good story, it should encourage us in our dealings with conflict.
Beyond just encouraging us, though, a recognition of plot allows us to move through life without being constantly surprised by difficulties. These are the things that can move life forward if we meet them well, or bring us to a standstill if we don't. Knowing that problems are part of the "story" of life can give us a measure of grace and strength as we move forward. Knowing that there is a next chapter and, finally, a resolution allows us to live in hope. And knowing that we are just one in a cast of thousands in this great story teaches us to live with humility with others.
In The Two Towers, as the main character Frodo is struggling against despair, his companion, Sam, puts it in perspective for him with these words:
" It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. They meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories has lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something."
Sam helps Frodo understand that the dark moment isn't the culmination of the story. And that's a life-giving perspective.
Friday, April 22, 2011
The Wrappings of Love
It's been a looong time since Valentine's Day! The days have been so full of changes and challenges that I've hardly had a moment to think, and thinking is the essence of writing. Hence, no blog posts!
Today is Good Friday, though, and I have had some moments to reflect this morning. Uppermost on my mind is one of the odd things about love. Our depiction of love is usually "sweet" - relaxing and beautiful environments, that special someone with adoring eyes looking at us, and the joy of giving (love is about giving, after all!) in ways that bring us a great deal of satisfaction and pleasure. Sometimes love is experienced this way.
The aspect of love I'm pondering today though is the not-so-pleasant presentation of love -- intense suffering and paralyzing grief. So many people that I love are in the throes of suffering right now, and my heart breaks. My heart grieves. My mind reels and cries out for an end to it. I've had my own physical challenges as well, and it's hard to remember sometimes that I'm in the hands of a loving God.
Good Friday puts it in perspective, though. How bleak that day was for those who loved Jesus. How unbelievably difficult it was for Him as He anticipated it all in the Garden of Gethsemene. Yet, "for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, despising the shame." (Hebrews 12:2b) That joy was the salvation of His people! That joy was life from death!
Love was wrapped up in bloody, sorrowful suffering and death. It was a gruesome sight, an utterly hopeless moment for those who loved Jesus that day. They couldn't see yet that the awful day was a prelude to the most glorious day in history - the resurrection!
I'm looking forward to the celebration of Christ's resurrection on Sunday. I'm also praying for faith to see the hand of love behind the sufferings of this present day. And, I'm giving thanks for the reminder of Good Friday.
Today is Good Friday, though, and I have had some moments to reflect this morning. Uppermost on my mind is one of the odd things about love. Our depiction of love is usually "sweet" - relaxing and beautiful environments, that special someone with adoring eyes looking at us, and the joy of giving (love is about giving, after all!) in ways that bring us a great deal of satisfaction and pleasure. Sometimes love is experienced this way.
The aspect of love I'm pondering today though is the not-so-pleasant presentation of love -- intense suffering and paralyzing grief. So many people that I love are in the throes of suffering right now, and my heart breaks. My heart grieves. My mind reels and cries out for an end to it. I've had my own physical challenges as well, and it's hard to remember sometimes that I'm in the hands of a loving God.
Good Friday puts it in perspective, though. How bleak that day was for those who loved Jesus. How unbelievably difficult it was for Him as He anticipated it all in the Garden of Gethsemene. Yet, "for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, despising the shame." (Hebrews 12:2b) That joy was the salvation of His people! That joy was life from death!
Love was wrapped up in bloody, sorrowful suffering and death. It was a gruesome sight, an utterly hopeless moment for those who loved Jesus that day. They couldn't see yet that the awful day was a prelude to the most glorious day in history - the resurrection!
I'm looking forward to the celebration of Christ's resurrection on Sunday. I'm also praying for faith to see the hand of love behind the sufferings of this present day. And, I'm giving thanks for the reminder of Good Friday.
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